Saturday afternoon, the artists and organizers behind the latest Deep Ellum Mural Project got together along Good Latimer between Live Oak and Gaston to celebrate the completion of this year’s project. OK … almost complete. Frank Campagna says he still needs to add a skyline and maybe an artist’s palette to his piece.

The artists had simple guidelines: no hate, no violence, no overt sex.  So the images and styles range: Sharks, giant koi, Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, gorillas and a spray-can space ship.  The murals, and the Traveling Man sculpture that Brad Oldham and Brandon Oldenburg are building on the other side of the street (more on that this Friday on Think),  set a great tone for DART riders on their way into and out of Deep Ellum, and, for that matter, anyone just strolling around.

There’s more to come: a community “news wall” on the side of the former Gypsy Tea Room/current Door, where Campagna used to illustrate upcoming bands. And an art attack on many of the pillars under I-30.

“What we’re trying to do in Deep Ellum is create an atmosphere where people of all sorts are getting involved, finding a way to create public art throughout the neighborhood … use art as a way to bind Deep Ellum together,” says Sean Fitzgerald, of the Deep Ellum Community Association.

Big thanks to Mark Birnbaum for sending along the pictures. Click the thumbnails above for a larger version.